Preparing Your Soil for the Winter with Bentonite Sulfur Fertilizer
For farmers, heading into the winter means you’re already working on next year’s crop. How can you make the most of these winter months to boost next season’s yield? When it comes to optimizing your soil health, bentonite sulfur fertilizer is one of your best tools for winter soil preparation that supports both soil health and crop productivity.
Bentonite sulfur clay blends and the winter cycle
Applying bentonite sulfur in the winter is essential for achieving fertilizer input goals for the spring, and winter weather assists in the complete disintegration of sulfur pastilles to fine elemental sulfur particles – ready for spring! Bentonite sulfur fertilizer granules are made from elemental sulfur blended with bentonite clay. This clay keeps the sulfur in a solid state that is more suitable for application. When moisture hits the soil, the clay swells and begins to break down.
This process is extended through the cyclical freezing and thawing throughout winter. The bentonite sulfur granules continuously expand and contract, gradually separating the sulfur particles from the bentonite clay and releasing them into the soil and by doing so, increasing the surface area of the sulfur, where they’re primed for microbial conversion. By doing this, the lifespan of the sulfur conversion is drastically reduced as compared to applying pure sulfur granules which take at least three times longer, or more, to convert into the useable form of sulfur that plants require.
Microbial conversion from elemental sulfur to sulfate
Sulfur is an important nutrient, but plants cannot use sulfur in its elemental form. As fall-broadcasted bentonite sulfur pastilles degrade over winter, some dispersion beyond the initial feeding site is observed. But since bacteria is dormant in winter, no oxidation to sulfate occurs until spring soil temperatures rise – but this ensures negligible nutrient loss through winter because elemental sulfur is immobile. Drawing on sulfur as an energy source, the sulfur is first turned into sulfuric acid, which in turn disperses sulfate ions throughout the soil for the plant roots to absorb. As the weather warms and the soil temperature rises, microbial activity increases, giving plants a gradual release of sulfate throughout the growing season.
The benefits of gradual release
Throughout their growth cycle, crops have different sulfur needs. The slow-release nature of bentonite sulfur provides a biologically mediated release of sulfate throughout the season to meet varying demands, especially important considering sulfur’s immobility within plants. With slow-release fertilizer, plant-ready sulfur will be available during higher sulfur demand growth stages such as flowering and seed production.
Gradual release is also highly effective in preventing nutrient loss, especially through leaching. The insolubility of elemental sulfur guards against nutrient losses not only during winter after fall application but also during the growing season; applied bentonite sulfur converts to sulfate at a rate of 30-40% per year.
With sulfur available in your soil for extended periods throughout the growing cycle, fewer applications are needed overall, saving both labour and resources. Reducing leaching and other nutrient loss is also beneficial for long-term, sustainable farming practices.
Building long-term health and sustainability
The benefits of bentonite sulfur fertilizer go beyond just a single season though. In addition to improving yields, it supports sustainable farming by preventing runoff into groundwater and other surrounding water sources. Bentonite sulfur can also be used to strategically lower pH (with heavier application rates), contributing to a healthier overall soil profile and creating stronger microbiome environments. These healthier microbiomes create a balanced ecosystem in the soil, which naturally reduces the need for chemical fertilizers over time, leading to long-term soil health and helping to avoid further soil mitigations later.
Bentonite sulfur offers a very high-analysis fertilizer that can be beneficially applied at any time of the year. Fewer applications will undoubtedly reduce costs, create fewer emissions, and ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of your operation.
Keg River utilizes molten sulfur derived from the petroleum industry, a byproduct of the refining process that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide if not captured. By processing over 60,000 tons of sulfur, the facility prevents the emission of more than 120,000 tons of sulfur dioxide. This not only reduces harmful air pollution but also turns a waste product into a valuable, environmentally friendly fertilizer, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices while minimizing environmental impact.
Ready your soil for winter
The benefits of bentonite sulfur fertilizer may last year-round but one of the best times to apply is during the fall and winter. Proper fall sulfur applications will begin the general breakdown process that will leave your elemental sulfur primed for oxidization with the arrival of spring.
To discuss your sulfur fertilizer needs, Keg River has a variety of products and experts available to support you in your sustainable soil health from one season to the next.
